text HADER GLANG
The Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) has ruled out religious conflict as the motive for the kidnapping of Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, who was seized by six gunmen in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay twenty five days ago.
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, president of the Silsillah Dialogue Movement who serves as PIME regional spokesman based in Zamboanga City, said they consider the incident as a kidnap-for-ransom.
“Although some want to speculate like political in nature but I believe the major reason is ransom,” D’Ambra told reporters in an interview in Zamboanga City international airport on Tuesday.
In a press release, Fr. Gian Battista Zanchi, PIME Superior General, also said: “To view the event as a conflict between Christians and Muslims is for the time being unjustified.”
“In fact, according to PIME officials in the Philippines, the recent controversy in Italy runs the risk of being counterproductive, making the release of our Brother even more difficult,” it said.
But other sources said the Italian priest’s kidnapping could be a reprisal from certain Muslims who are protesting over the publication in Italy of defamatory caricature of Prophet Mohammad, which was first published by a Danish newspaper.
It will be recalled sometime in February 2006, newspapers and journals in Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Belgium and Spain had republished the offending caricature despite worldwide protests by Muslims.
Muslims all over the world protested the act, calling it as a blatant disregard for Islamic sensitivities over the use of such images, which are particularly insulting and forbidden by Islam.
Ustadz Shariff Julabbi, a member of the Bishop Ulama Council of the Philippines (BUCP), maintained that an organized criminal gang was behind the abduction in a bid to get money from PIME.
“I have to make an appeal to this group to release Bossi unconditionally because he is a man of peace and a religious man,” said Julabbi. “In Islam, non-combatants especially the priest, children and women must not be harmed.”
The MILF rebels helping in the search for the kidnapped Italian priest have pulled out from the rescue mission to allow government forces to operate on its own, a report said Wednesday.
It said the decision to leave Bossi's rescue operation to the military was arrived at after discussions among AHJAG officials, including Marine Maj. Gen. Mohammad "Ben" Dolorfino and lawyer Abdul Dataya.
“The military forces are in control of the situation. This means they know exactly the area of Fr. Bossi, but probably they have not contacted yet except that within 24 hours many things can happen,” said D’Ambra.
Contrary to earlier reports by government and MILF negotiators that the kidnappers have taken Bossi to Lanao province, D’Ambra believes his fellow priest is still in Zamboanga Sibugay.
The military had earlier admitted it had obtained proof of life of the kidnapped Italian priest, but declined to name the source, so as not to jeopardize the ongoing search and recovery operations.
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, president of the Silsillah Dialogue Movement who serves as PIME regional spokesman based in Zamboanga City, said they consider the incident as a kidnap-for-ransom.
“Although some want to speculate like political in nature but I believe the major reason is ransom,” D’Ambra told reporters in an interview in Zamboanga City international airport on Tuesday.
In a press release, Fr. Gian Battista Zanchi, PIME Superior General, also said: “To view the event as a conflict between Christians and Muslims is for the time being unjustified.”
“In fact, according to PIME officials in the Philippines, the recent controversy in Italy runs the risk of being counterproductive, making the release of our Brother even more difficult,” it said.
But other sources said the Italian priest’s kidnapping could be a reprisal from certain Muslims who are protesting over the publication in Italy of defamatory caricature of Prophet Mohammad, which was first published by a Danish newspaper.
It will be recalled sometime in February 2006, newspapers and journals in Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Belgium and Spain had republished the offending caricature despite worldwide protests by Muslims.
Muslims all over the world protested the act, calling it as a blatant disregard for Islamic sensitivities over the use of such images, which are particularly insulting and forbidden by Islam.
Ustadz Shariff Julabbi, a member of the Bishop Ulama Council of the Philippines (BUCP), maintained that an organized criminal gang was behind the abduction in a bid to get money from PIME.
“I have to make an appeal to this group to release Bossi unconditionally because he is a man of peace and a religious man,” said Julabbi. “In Islam, non-combatants especially the priest, children and women must not be harmed.”
The MILF rebels helping in the search for the kidnapped Italian priest have pulled out from the rescue mission to allow government forces to operate on its own, a report said Wednesday.
It said the decision to leave Bossi's rescue operation to the military was arrived at after discussions among AHJAG officials, including Marine Maj. Gen. Mohammad "Ben" Dolorfino and lawyer Abdul Dataya.
“The military forces are in control of the situation. This means they know exactly the area of Fr. Bossi, but probably they have not contacted yet except that within 24 hours many things can happen,” said D’Ambra.
Contrary to earlier reports by government and MILF negotiators that the kidnappers have taken Bossi to Lanao province, D’Ambra believes his fellow priest is still in Zamboanga Sibugay.
The military had earlier admitted it had obtained proof of life of the kidnapped Italian priest, but declined to name the source, so as not to jeopardize the ongoing search and recovery operations.
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